Hard hitting story with bitter ironies. Outstanding performance by Kate Beckinsale who for whatever reason doesn't show up very often except to play a Vampire. Is it because she is mysteriously underrated? There were a few sleepy predictable moments in the "personal life" trials aspect (child custody, alcoholism) but Ms. Beckinsale and her supporting cast all delivered excellent performances. As to the rest, her solutions to the corrupt elements in the film were easily as interesting, if not more so, than the usual John Grisham fare. I found myself wanting to see more of this character. It wonder if it could make a go as a television series amidst Game of Thrones and superhero shows.

Review: I really enjoyed this intense courtroom drama about a top lawyer who takes on a case to try and free a girl from jail after being sentenced to life for murder. Although the evidence against the accused is full of lies and deceit, there still lies the question about the girls true innocence. I liked the different twists and turns throughout the movie and the performances made the movie intense and emotional. You really don't know what direction this movie is going to take because the lawyer is also a recovering alcoholic who is fighting to get custody of her little girl. When everything becomes a bit too much for the stressed out lawyer, she turns to Nick Note for guidance, who was a great choice by the director. Anyway, I didn't lose my interest throughout the movie because it's not predictable and it doesn't seem to drag, so I can honestly say that it's worth a watch. Enjoyable!Round-Up: It's weird watching Kate Beckinsale in a straight role after watching her shooting zombies and kicking butt in the Underworld franchise. She has starred in many top movies like The Aviator, Pearl Harbor and Total Recall but she still seems to stay under the Hollywood radar. Nick Nolte has also been out of the spotlight lately, which is a shame because I always rated him as an actor. Anyway, the whole cast performed well in this intense drama, but it didn't seem to have got a major release so it's another one of those films that will be under rated.Budget: $7million Worldwide Gross: N/AI recommend this movie to people who are into there intense courtroom dramas about a big time lawyer who has some serious personal issues but she still takes on a case to try and save a girl from her life sentence for murder. 6/10

Cate (Kate Beckinsale) is a lawyer on probation. She is also an alcoholic, and is fighting for custody of her daughter. Cate is assigned to defend Lacey Stubbs (Anna Anissimova) who has been accused of murder and was also raped by a prison guard. Wouldn't it be nice to see a good drama where the hero or heroine isn't a recovering alcoholic, a druggy, in a custody fight, is argumentative and also somewhat of a loose canon? Well, dream on this is what sells today. Hey, I bought it (okay rented it). Hollywood likes heroes with warts because they believe everyone has warts. Oh, all that doesn't apply to Cate, but some of it does. Anyway, this is a good drama about a driven lawyer who has personal problems that she needs to overcome. Keep in mind the title above as the word TRIALS is pertinent. It's plural. In the beginning she says she doesn't concern herself if her client is guilty or innocent, and later has a change of heart, but can she overcome the politics, lies, the good old boys and the system?Oh, the language: As I got into this I couldn't help think that Ms Beckinsale took the role so she could spew F-bombs all over the place. She seemed to relish in this. I may be wrong, but there were too many F-bombs by her. Too many. Ms Beckinsale does a very credible job without going overboard into melancholy or self-pity. OK, maybe a little bit. She carries this movie perfectly. Still, this is a good drama with a very good supporting cast with special shout-outs going to James Cromwell, and Nick Nolte who are always good. Although this is a very good drama James Cromwell makes it even better. Am beginning to think of him as the best actor in Hollywood and this is with apologies to Clint Eastwood who says Morgan Freeman is the best actor on the planet. Hey, there's room for both. Now, I need to go see what I can do about my warts. HA ! (7/10)Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Yes, too much of it.

I think nowadays there's a shortage of these kind of movies, the last good one was The Lincoln Lawyer (which is quite similar to this one). It's the same recipe again: let's add a little personal drama (Cate could lose her daughter due to her alcoholism), an almost impossible case (female murderer from death row appeals, and Cate gets to defend her), an old case, where the character made the wrong decision, and the courtroom drama is ready.But I think, this movie is using these "clichés" very well to create a good story. The main character has motivations, inner conflicts, and these are very well correlating with the main storyline and the whole message of the story. It's not something I should praise, but frankly, most movies are lacking this.Anyway, the courtroom case is interesting, both the mood and the pace of the movie are satisfying, so I think it's quite enjoyable and also makes you think. And last, but not least, Kate Beckinsale convinced me, that she's not a bad actress, she just needs a good character to play.If you liked Fracture or The Lincoln Lawyer, this one is for you.